Multiple Choice
True or False: if false, choose the answer that best corrects the statement.
Gastroenteritis can be caused by the ingestion of a toxin with or without the bacteria that produced it.
31. Microbial Infections - Digestive System
Overview of Diseases of the Digestive System
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Which of the following reasons best describes how symptoms from bacterial gastroenteritis may increase the spread of digestive pathogens?
A
Inflammation of the intestines reduces immune function, increasing the chance of spread.
B
Dysentery regularly leads to hospitalization and the potential for healthcare-associated infections.
C
Diarrhea increases the risk of fecal-oral contamination, either through poor handwashing or environmental contamination.
D
Intoxication typically leads to sudden symptoms, increasing the likelihood that bacteria will spread before being killed by the immune system.
Verified step by step guidance1
Step 1: Understand the context of bacterial gastroenteritis, which is an infection of the intestines caused by bacteria leading to symptoms like diarrhea and inflammation.
Step 2: Recognize that the spread of digestive pathogens often occurs through the fecal-oral route, meaning pathogens in feces contaminate hands, food, or water and are ingested by another person.
Step 3: Analyze how symptoms such as diarrhea contribute to this spread by increasing the amount of infectious material expelled and the likelihood of contamination if hygiene practices are inadequate.
Step 4: Compare other options such as inflammation reducing immune function or hospitalization risks, noting that while these may be factors, they do not directly increase the spread as effectively as diarrhea-related contamination.
Step 5: Conclude that diarrhea increases the risk of fecal-oral contamination through poor handwashing or environmental contamination, making it the best explanation for how symptoms increase pathogen spread.
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